ELECTION PACKET
Portland mayoral race engulfed in controversy; voters face difficult choice
Charlie Hales
Photo courtesy of charliehales.com
Jobs
- Says to keep the economy strong Portland must keep the quality of living high - “One of the big economic assets of Portland – why people want to locate a business or professional firm here – is just the quality of life at a street level.” - Proposes a system he calls Community Credit Portland where part of the money the city puts in the bank every year from taxes and fees must be used for local start-ups and small businesses
Measure 80: Legalizing Marijuana - Supports Measure 80 but thinks the bill is flawed. - “Once we decided to have widely available medical marijuana, it stopped being a controlled substance as a practical matter.” Hales said.
UP Master Plan - Was the city commission in charge of planning last time UP submitted its Master Plan - “I am very supportive of it and I want to help make it happen” Hales said.
Why Hales thinks he is the best candidate for UP students - Emphasizes making Portland a great city for entrepreneurs and for collaboration between education and the economy - “I didn’t want to trade quality of life for career, and I don’t think the current generation of students want to do that either. I spent thirty years being a student of and shaper of great urban places.” Hales said.
Kelsey Thomas Reporter thomask15@up.edu
Jefferson Smith and Charlie Hales have something in common besides the opportunity to lead Portland for the next four years: their controversial and sordid pasts. Since they began their campaigns for mayor, numerous reports have emerged degrading the character of the candidates. Smith has been charged with seven speeding tickets and had seven license suspensions. He has also been accused of aggression in several circumstances. Smith punched an opponent during an organized basketball game last November. Smith also punched a young woman while in college. Smith was initially charged with misdemeanor assault, but the charge was dropped as part of an agreement that required Smith to do community service. Smith says the incident was an accident and that he was acting in self-defense. Hales has been accused of deceitful behavior several times. Hales was criticized for moving to Washington State to avoid Oregon taxes from 2004 – 2009 while still continuing to vote in Oregon, where he maintained a separate residence. He also was caught covertly recording the Oregon League of Conservative Voter’s endorsement interviews. There also was a controversy over a letter to the editor of the St. John’s Review. That letter, signed by Hales, plagiarized two passages from an Oregonian article and implied that Hales was on a neighborhood tour that he did not actually attend. Hales attributed it too a misunderstanding by campaign staff. Portland voters must decide between two men with fairly similar political viewpoints, but different leadership styles and weaknesses. Oregonian columnist and UP adjunct professor Steve Duin says voters are faced with two seriously flawed candidates. “Can you live with this
history of irresponsibility that Jefferson has and that he’s argued he has put behind him or can you live with Charlie’s seeming willingness to misrepresent the truth?” Duin said. It is not yet clear what role the candidates’ past behavior will play in the election. Political Science professor Gary Malecha says that although personality and morals do matter in an election, it is difficult to get the whole picture. “Character is important but it’s hard to make an informed judgment,” Malecha said. “We don’t have all the info and we haven’t seen them in office.” Whether or not the controversy affects voter turnout will be evident after the election in November. In the meantime, it only adds to the growing pessimism surrounding politics nationally. “The issue you’re obviously dealing with is that no one is happy about any election,” Duin said. “Given the opportunity, I’m not sure that Sam Adams wouldn’t get re-elected.”
Jefferson Smith
Photo courtesy of Jefferson Smith’s Faceboook
Jobs
- Says government should think not just about how to attract out of state businesses but how to grow local businesses - Supports helping start-ups through incubator businesses, market research and capital access - “We need an economicdevelopment plan that fits our city, fits our values, and fits our strengths.”
Measure 80: Legalizing Marijuana - Supports Measure 80 but thinks the bill is flawed. - If marijuana is legalized, “They will figure out how to make weed much more attractive and we have got to come to grips with that.” Smith said.
UP Master Plan Could not be contacted
Why Smith thinks he is the best candidate for UP students - Says he wants to use his power to engage more people in the conversation and have more citizen rule - Passed registration to allow people to register online or when they are 17 if they will be 18 by next election - Is a strong believer in transparency and wants to run a government that is easy for the public to access - “I focus on the future rather than the past.” Smith said.
Portland Ballot Measures to watch For: Measure #80: Allows personal marijuana, hemp cultivation/use without license; commission to regulate commerical marijuana cultivation/sale Measure #82: Amends Constitution: Authorizes establishment of privatelyowned casinos; Mandates percentage of revenues payable to dedicated state fund Measure #85: Amends Constitution: Allocates corporate income/excise tax “kicker” refund to additionally fund K through 12 public education.
Jackie Jeffers | THE BEACON